


It's Always Been You

by TrueMeg



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22955908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueMeg/pseuds/TrueMeg
Summary: After their time-traveling, life for Albus and Scorpius goes back to normal. Except Scorpius has been acting strange lately. Albus wants to know what it is.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 5
Kudos: 171





	It's Always Been You

**Author's Note:**

> Long-time fic writer, first time writing fic for Cursed Child!

"Have you seen Scorpius anywhere?"

Three people in front of him all glanced up at him, and it was Karl Jenkins who answered him. "Your boyfriend said he was going to the owlery."

Polly and Yann both chuckled at Karl's jest, while Albus didn't react at all. Karl's comments no longer landed the same way they used to. Ever since he and Scorpius returned from time-traveling, their peers had stopped their constant taunts. Fewer sneers from Polly, Karl's comments didn't have as much snide in them. Like the comments were now for fun rather than putting Albus and Scorpius down. Some of them now were even talking to them in class or in the Great Hall, as small and short as the conversations were.

Of course, have _one_ encounter with a child of Voldemort and suddenly everyone wants to be nicer to you.

Albus mumbled a thanks to them and set off, out of the Slytherin common room.

It was late, well past dinner. Albus walked past students going to and from the library, to and from empty classrooms and the courtyards. They were one day away from Christmas break, and an eager energy filled the halls. Albus was sure that a lot of students tonight were going to be irresponsible, and stay up late with their friends in a bid to start their holiday early. So, the corridors were certainly more crowded than normal as he made his way through the school. Few stopped to stare at him anymore; the excitement of Albus and Scorpius and their time-traveling had died down.

Albus could feel the winter chill as he made his way to the top of the tower, and through the windows he could see it had started snowing. When he finally made it to the top, he saw the person he’d been looking for.

Scorpius sat on the same ledge they’d sat on together the night they’d hoped to destroy the Time-Turner. Scorpius' back was to him, his legs dangling over the ledge. The full moon shone in through the windows, shining off of Scorpius' white-blonde hair.

Albus found himself staring for a few moments, before he shook his head. He stepped over toward Scorpius and sat next to him.

“Hi.”

Scorpius gave Albus one glance, and half a smile before he looked back out over the castle grounds.

“What are you doing here?” Albus asked.

“Hm? Oh uh, nothing. Just thinking, I suppose…”

This had been happening for a couple weeks now. Albus had noticed Scorpius getting quieter and quieter as the days went on. They still spent nearly all of their time together; studying, partners in classes, eating together. But their conversations slowly got shorter, Scorpius eventually made less eye-contact with Albus. Albus thought for a little while that it was maybe stress from school. But the phrase “stress from school” didn’t apply to Scorpius. He’d always geeked out over schoolwork, even during hard classes and exams. It had to be something else.

Maybe Albus could get a laugh out of Scorpius instead.

“Working up the courage to ask out Rose again?”Albus chuckled when he asked it, though it had always rubbed him the wrong way, how much Scorpius was infatuated with his cousin.

But Scorpius still didn’t smile. “No. I…I don’t think I’ll be doing that again.”

Albus glanced at Scorpius, his brow furrowed. “You’ve fancied Rose for years. What changed?”

Scorpius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I think I’ve realized something.”

“Realized what?”

The movement was quick, the last word barely out of Albus’ mouth before Scorpius moved. One second Scorpius was facing out the window and the next second, he was leaning into Albus and their lips were pressed together.

Time seemed to slow, and it was a few beats before Albus pulled away first. He leaned back, away from Scorpius, shoulders tense as he stared at his friend. 

Scorpius had just kissed him. 

It was another second that Scorpius' gaze was locked with Albus. Until Scorpius turned away, fully, nearly burying his face in his opposite shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. That was really stupid of me."

"Um..."

"Really stupid of me, I know. Of all the ways I could have said it..."

"Scorp."

"Really there were hundreds of ways I could have done that differently. Thousands even."

"Scorpius!"

Scorpius finally stopped his chattering. He'd turned his head out toward the grounds again, but at least he wasn't hiding his face completely from Albus now. Briefly Albus noted that that was the most he'd heard Scorpius talk in a couple weeks. This was what had been occupying Scorpius' mind for a while.

Scorpius had kissed him. 

"You, um...Me?"

Scorpius let out a shuddered sigh. "Yes, you. I like you Albus. You're my best friend of course, you know. But lately I think I've been thinking I like you more. Or, different than a best friend."

Albus' mind was swirling, though with nothing coherent coming immediately to mind. He said the first thing he could think of. "What happened to liking Rose?"

At that, Scorpius actually chuckled. Albus relaxed slightly, seeing Scorpius smile even a little. "Um, well... I don't know if I ever really fancied her. I think... I think I liked her because I wanted to _be_ like her. Does that make sense?"

Albus paused. "No."

Scorpius started fidgeting with his hands. "I mean, Rose is confident and smart, and good at everything, and everyone likes her immediately. I always wanted that. To be liked and smart and confident. And yes, I asked her out and I was excited when she didn't say no but... I just thought about it more and more and I couldn't stop and I realized it. I don't think I like her like that."

"But...you like me?" Albus asked, talking slowly.

Scorpius paused before finally looking at Albus again. "You always understood me. You gave me a chance when no one else did. And I hate being away from you. I told you this but when I was in that dark world, I thought of you to keep the dementor away. It's always you, Albus. When I think of when I'm happy, you're there. Even when I'm sad, you're there. It's just... always you. You're always there and I like that you're always there. I think...it's always been you." 

Albus still didn't say anything right away. He was still watching Scorpius fidget with his hands, while his thoughts were consumed by what Scorpius was saying. Him, always him. How right that phrase felt. 

It had always been Scorpius as well. Scorpius in his first Hogwarts memory as they laughed and ate sweets on the train, and when Scorpius insisted Albus sit next to him after sorting. When everyone else stared and sneered, Scorpius was there. When Albus fought with his dad, Scorpius was there. Scorpius was by his side at the return of eternal darkness. And Albus remembered being in that alternate timeline, and how simply not talking to Scorpius felt like a hole in his life. Scorpius, always there through it all. 

The thought of it settled deep inside Albus. 

A few moments had passed before Scorpius spoke again, his usual quick talk when he was nervous. "Look Albus, it's okay if you don't feel the same way. I wouldn't really expect you to anyway. It's fine, really. Just as long as we can still be best friends. You know how hard it is for us to not talk to each other and I'd feel so stupid if I ruined everything. And I feel like I just got you back--"

It was Albus who moved quickly next. One second, Scorpius was talking too fast and the next Albus closed the distance between them, silencing Scorpius by kissing him again. Albus felt Scorpius tense, just for a second until Scorpius relaxed into the kiss, and Albus did the same. His lips were soft, the kiss gentle. Albus' hand reached up and rested on Scorpius' neck, like he'd seen people do in the muggle movies. It made Scorpius lean in to Albus ever so slightly more. 

Albus didn't know how much time had passed, but it was Scorpius who broke the kiss, slowly pulling away but their faces still close when they looked at each other again. 

"Can I take that as you like me back?" Scorpius asked, biting his lip. 

"Yeah," Albus replied simply.

"When did you realize this?"

"Just now."

Scorpius laughed, the familiar sound making Albus' heart beat a little faster. He laughed along as well. 

"Does this mean we're...together?" Scorpius asked nervously. "I mean...you know what I mean, right? Do people usually ask that question when this happens or does it just...happen?"

"I don't know," Albus said. "I mean, I don't know if people ask that question. I don't think they do? Anyway. Yes it can mean we're together, if you want that."

"That'd be nice."

"Yeah, it would."

Both of them were smiling, Albus' cheeks felt a little warmer now. Scorpius reached over to Albus' lap, where his hands were resting, and Scorpius took Albus' hand in his. 

They sat like that for a while, looking out over the castle grounds. The snow was still swirling just in front of them, starting to blanket the grounds and the castle. Their hands stayed clasped together, steady and right.

"You've picked a hell of a time to start this," Albus said. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we've done this, and we're one day away from the holiday break. Now we have to be apart just after getting together."

Both of them laughed. "We'll have to visit each other during the holiday, won't we?" Scorpius said.

"Along with all the usual owls we always send each other," added Albus. 

Scorpius nodded. "Not that I want to leave, but we should," he said. "It's getting late, and McGonagall never gives us special treatment, even after we saved the world."

"Right."

They stood up, and brushed off the few snowflakes that had landed on them. Albus thought their walk back would mean they wouldn't be holding hands, but as they started off, Scorpius took his hand again. Even when they started passing other students in the corridors, Scorpius kept a steady hold, and Albus didn't pull away. Sure, Albus noticed the glances from other students, even the longer stares when they finally went through the Slytherin common room. But they didn't break the hold. Albus even smiled when, after they passed the table of their classmates, he heard Karl behind him mutter "I knew it!"

Him and Scorpius, it felt right. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, etc always appreciated! Hope you enjoyed! Find me on twitter @truexmeg and tumblr @truemeg


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